Passive and active tubular pressurization suit



Aug. 11, 19.70 J, C, DAVls ETAL 3,523,301 PAS'SIVE- AND ACTIVE TUBULARPRESSURIZATION SUIT 'Filed on. 4. 196e 2 sheets-sheet 1 4| ro M1751. n umany/N9 l Aug. 1i, 1970 |,C DAV1S ET AL 3,523,301

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE TUBULAR PRESSU-RIZATION SUIT Filed Oct. 4, 1968' 2Sheets-Sheet 2 25 Ara-safe i regalan@ Pie-:3:01a: 2

Hic/urne ,0.9655451125 en; umlrap nrramvfsrs Eg'l] i Eig-11 BY UnitedStates Patent O 3,523,301 PASSIVE AND ACTIVE TUBULAR PRESSURIZATION SUITJefferson C. Davis, San Francisco, Calif., and Henry B.

Whitmore and Leonard Harris, San Antonio, Tex.

Filed Oct. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 765,118 Int. Cl. B63c 9/16' U.S. Cl. 2-2.15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An inflatable high altitude pressuresuit enclosure having a plurality of inflatable expansible and flexible,relatively small tubular members disposed around the interior in closeadjacent side by side or superimposed substantially parallel relation tosurround the body of a wearer. The tubular members are expanded wheninllated to apply suitable body sustaining pressure on the body of awearer within the enclosure when the exterior pressure surrounding theenclosure drops below a predetermined pressure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The high altitude pressure suitincorporating the invention is an important improvement over well knownpartial pressure suits as disclosed in the patent to Henry, No.2,886,027, and conventional inflatable full pressure suits currently inuse, as well as the more recent passive pressure suits of the typecontemplated in the Ritzinger et al. Pat. No. 3,393,405 entitledEmergency Altitude Pressure Suit (Boyles Law Operated), and suits of thetype contemplated in the patent application of Otto Schneller, Ser. No.461,212, now Pat. No. 3,428,960, entitled Multicell Pressure Suit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the invention comprises a fail safehigh altitude pressure suit. In one form a full pressure inflatable suitis employed with a tubular inflatable passive pressure systemincorporated therein so that a puncture and loss or failure of airpressure inside of the inflatable full pressure suit, when predeterminedsurrounding low exterior pressure is present, the expansible tubularpassive pressure system becomes automatically operable to supply thenecessary sustaining pressure on the body of the wearer.

Another form of the invention combines an expansible tubular passivesystem and an expansible tubular active pressure system Within a porousfabric high altitude suit. When the passive pressure system fails,because of puncture, or leakage, the active expansible tubular pressuresystem can be activated to apply the necessary body sustaining pressureon the wearer. This is also true where the passive pressure system isnot fully operative to apply sutlicient body pressure on the wearer due,for instance, to a partial loss of pressure, or to an inadvertentlyselected improperly fitting suit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Like reference characters refer tolike parts on the several lfigures of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front View in elevation of a high altitude full pressuresuit incorporating one form of the invention, parts of the suit beingbroken away, or removed, or shown in section.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the topor upper portion of the suit, as shown in FIG. l, taken lbetween theouter non-stretchable porous fabric of the suit and the inner porousloose or stretchable liner, showing the inflatable expansible paralleltubular members, not pressurized and collapsed.

ice

bers as shown in FIG. 3, to more clearly illustrate thev outernon-stretchable and the loose inner flexible porous suit fabric with theinflatable and expansible tubes in collapsed condition to affordventilation and free body movement of the wearer therein.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, `but showingthe tubular members expanded.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing the resilient expansibletubular members in collapsed condition in full lines, and in expandedrelation in dotted lines and with the tubular members connected by acommon header or manifold to a regulated pressure supply means for theinflation thereof.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modied arrangementcomprising alternately disposed side by side expansible tubular membersconnected to separate regulated pressure supply means comprising twogroups of tubular members each group connected by a separate manifoldconduit means to one of the pressure regulator systems for selectivelysupplying inflation pressure to one, or the other, of the inflatabletubular groups.

FIG. 8 is a transverse fragmentary sectional view, schematicallyillustrating a further modification comprising an inflatable fullpressure suit having a non-porous outer garment lined inside withsubstantially parallel resilient expansible flexible tubular members ofthe passive type having a predetermined amount of gas trapped and sealedtherein. Dotted lines illustrate the expansion of the tubular membersinto body sustaining pressure on the Wearers body when the inflatablefull pressure suit is punctured and the pressure therein leaks out, orfails.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary schematic sectional view of a portion of a suit,showing a further embodiment, employing a non-stretchable ventilatedouter fabric enclosing the wearer and lined with spaced side-by-sideexpansible flexible tubular inllata'ble members comprising expansiblemembers of the passive type alternately disposed between tubular membersof the inflatable active type which are connected for inflation througha common conduit to a regulated pressure supply means.

FIGS. 10 and 1l are similar sectional views showing superimposed tubularexpansible members of the active and passive types, in which the activeexpansible tubular members are secured in spaced side-by-side parallelrelation around the inside of the outer porous fabric of the suit, andthe passive expansible tubular members are each superimposed on one ofthe active type members. FIG. 10 shows -both active and passive memberscollapsed, while FIG. l1 shows theactive members expanded, to press theinner passive tubular pressure members into sustaining pressure relationon the body of the wearer, for instance when the passive pressure systemfails or is not sulllcient to apply the necessary sustaining pressure onthe wearers body.

FIG. l2 is a view in elevation, parts being broken away to show the useof a passive pressure suit, within a positive regulated pressuresupplied capsule or enclosure, to automatically protect the occupantshould the compartment or enclosure become punctured and decompressionoccur at altitudes where body sustaining pressure is necessary.

FIG. 13 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional view through a pressuresupply regulator for automatically supplying positive pressure to theexpansible tubular members of the active or full body pressure supplytype, such as shown in FIGS. l to 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 the reference numeral 1 denotes a highaltitude full pressure suit comprising an upper body enclosure portion2, and a lower body enclosure portion 3, for enclosing the body, arms,and legs of a wearer therein.

The suit portions 2 and 3 may be provided with suitable closures for theaccess opening therein, such as a Zipper or zippers 4.

The suit may be a one piece overall type or comprise the separate topand bottom suit portions 2 and 3 having the arm enclosure portion 5 andthe leg receiving and enclosing portions 6, respectively.

The suit portion 2, as seen in FIG. l, comprises an outer porous,non-stretchable fabric, for enclosing the body and arms of the wearer,and non-stretchable porous fabric leg or limb enclosing portions 8 inthe lower body enclosing portion 3. It preferably has a loosely disposedslack or stretchable porous liner 9, best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, and isfabricated to loosely and comfortably t a wearers body at low altitudeswhere body sustaining pressure on the wearer is not necessary. However,the outer porous fabric must be carefully fitted to dispose the same inpredetermined closely spaced relation to the surface of the wearersbody.

The suit, as shown, is stitched through the outer fabrics 7 and 8, andthe inner liners 9, in fairly closely spaced subtantially parallel orequally spaced rows to form tubular passages or elongated compartments12 which, preferably, terminate in close, but spaced relation to theedge of the access openings for the Iwearer.

{Flexible resilient expansible tubular inflatable members 13 are looselytted in the tubular passages 12, from end to end, as shown, to conne thetubular members 13 therein, in substantially parallel relation to eachother in the passages 12, to surround the body, arms and legs of thewearer.

The suit 1 is provided with a tubular gaseous pressure manifold memberor members 14 which preferably extend around the edge of the suit, forinstance next to the edge of the access opening and the zipper 4, andaround the top of the lower suit portion 3.

The expansible tubular members 13 are open at their ends intocommunication with the interior of the pressure supply conduits ormanifolds 14.

Any suitable pressure supply means may be provided, as indicated at 15,and connected to the manifolds or conduits 14 by suitable flexibleconduit means 16, and are provided with suitable regulated pressuresupply and control means 17, or an automatic pressure supply controlmeans such as indicated at 18, in FIG 13, may be used to control thepressure supplied to the manifolds 14, and the wearers helmet (notshown) when the exterior pressure falls below some predetermined setvalue.

Under normal exterior pressure conditions, for instance, where theexterior pressure is not less than about 5 to 7 p.s.i. a sustainingpressure on the wearers body is not normally required, and the inationor pressurization of the tubular members 13 of the suit 1 is notnecessary, as seen in FIG. 4, and in full lines in FIG. 6, and the suitremains fairly loose, comfortable, rventilated and can be easily wornover long periods of time. Also the porous non-stretchable outer fabricand porous and loose inner liner provide adequate ventilation for thewearer between the fully or partially collapsed tubular members 13.

When sustaining pressure on the body of the wearer is necessary, and thetubular members are inflated and expanded by air pressure from thepressure regulator 15, they are expanded inwardly against the wearersbody to supply the required body sustaining pressure on the wearer, asschematically shown in FIG. 5, and in dotted lines in FIG. 6i.

Referring to FIG. 7, the suit, on the upper and lower garment portionsthereof such as 2 and 3, each have an outer loosely iitting,non-stretchable porous fabric 18 4 which is fitted in predeterminedclosely spaced relation to the surface of the wearers body 19, andprovided with two sets or groups of alternately disposed side by sideclosely spaced resilient flexible and expansible tubular members 20 and21, located between the outer porous nonstretchable fabric 18 and thesurface of the wearer.

The inflatable and expansible tubular members 20, as shown, comprise aportion of one set, or one inflated system while the interposed tubularinflation members 21 constitute a second set or group of body sustainingpressure applying members or system. Either of the `groups ofalternately disposed tubular members 20 or 21, lining the suit can be oris an emergency backup system for the other, should the tubular membersof the other system be punctured, or leak and fail.

The tubular members 2t) in the first group or system are connected toone manifold or pressure supply conduit 22 (schematically shown in FIG.7) while the other inflatable and expansible tubular members 21 of thesecond group or system are connected to a second pressure supplymanifold or conduit 23. Each of the manifolds 22 and 23 are preferablysupplied with pressure by separate regulated pressure supply means 22aand 23a, having controls therefor indicated at 2211 and 23h.

One of the pressure supply devices such as 22a may be automatic, asshown in FIG. 13, while the other may be controlled manually or trippedby failure of pressure in the other automatic system.

The location, spacing, size and expansion characteristics of either setor group of tubular members lining the interior of the suit, wheninflated, is sufficient to substantially cover and apply the necessarybody sustaining pressure on the surface of the wearers body when theexterior pressure surrounding the suit and wearer falls below apredetermined low value, for instance less than 5 or 6 p.s.i. Should onesystem fail or become insuicient the other emergency or backup systemcan, and is actuated to, provide the necessary alternate sustainingpressure on the body of the wearer.

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an automatic emergency or backuppressure applying system incorporated in an inflatable full pressuresuit.

In the drawings the inflatable non-porous suit fabric is indicated at 24and the pressure supply means to inflate the suit is indicated at 25 forsupplying the necessary inflation pressure to the interior of the snitand the sustaining pressure on the wearers body 26.

The suit is lined with closely spaced substantially parallel flexibleresilient expansible rubber-like tubular members 27 shown substantiallycollapsed in full lines and has a predetermined amount of expansiblegaseous medium trapped and sealed therein at normal atmosphericpressure, for intance 1S p.s.i.

When the suit is inflated the internal pressure on the tubular collapsedmembers 27 (and on the wearers body) is sufficient to balance orsubstantially balance the trapped pressure within the tubular members 27so that they remain substantially collapsed as shown in full lines inFIG. 9.

When the outer fabric 24 is punctured or leaks, as indicated at 28 andthe interior pressure drops, at low outside pressures the trapped gaswithin the tubes expands the tubular members 27 into pressure sustainingcontact with the surface of the wearers body 26.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in FIG. 9, a positive and apassive pressure system is shown schematically comprising closely spacedalternate active and passive pressure expansible flexible tubularmembers 29 and 30 surrounding the body, arms and legs in parallelrelation, preferably carried on the inner surface of the non-stretchablefabric 32 of the suit. The passive tubular members, indicated at 30, aredisposed between the activef tubular members 29 and have a predetermined amount of gas trapped and sealed therein while the active tubularmembers 29 are preferably connected to a suitable pressure supplymanifold 34 adapted to be supplied with pressure from a pressureregulator 33 to inflate the active tubular members 29 and expand thesame to sufficient body sustaining pressure on the wearers body 31,should the passive pressure system fail or be insufllcient, forinstance, because of leakage or an improper size suit for the wearer.

In this construction the passive system comprising the spaced tubularmembers 30 will automatically expand with a sufficient drop in theexterior surrounding pressure but the active alternate tubular members29 can be inllated and expanded as shown in dotted lines to replace orsupplement the body sustaining pressure of the tubular members 30 on thewearers body.

Referring to FIGS. and 11, the tubular expansible members 39 of thepassive system are superimposed on and carried on the tubular expansibleactive members 35.

The outer fabric 38 of the suit is non-stretchable and porous, and thetubular members 35 of the active system are secured in closely spacedside by side relation, when collapsed as shown in FIG. 10, on theinterior of the fabric 38 and surround the body, arms and legs of thewearer somewhat similar to the tubular members 13 in FIG. 1.

The tubular members 35 are connected to a pressure supply manifold 36adapted to be pressurized when necessary by a pressure regulator 37.When an emergency occurs and the passive pressure system fails to supplysufficient body sustaining pressure on the wearer, the members 35 can bepressurized, as seen in full lines in FIG. 11.

FIG. 12 illustrates the use of a passive pressure suit comprisingtubular members with the predetermined amount of expansible gas thereinand a pressurized capsule 4t) normally supplied with adequate pressureby and through the pressure regulator 41.

Should the pressure in the capsule 40 fail, the passive pressure systemof the suit 42 automatically 'becomes operative to supply the necessarybody pressure.

While no helmet is shown it should be obvious that in all instanceswhere body sustaining pressure is necessary some type of helmet orbreathing apparatus must be provided in conjunction with the suit, tosupply the wearer with oxygen necessary for breathing under suitablepressure.

FIG. 13 shows one form of active pressure regulator 43 for supplyingpressure through conduit 44 to the wearers masker breathing apparatusfor demand breathing, aswell as for supplying pressure through theconduit 45 to the tubular expansible members of the ac,

tive pressure supply system.

We claim:

1. A high altitude full pressure tubular flight suit comprising, anouter non-stretchable garment for enclosing the arms, legs and body of awearer, having a closable access opening for receiving the wearertherein, resilient flexible normally collapsed expansible tubularmembers xed within the outer non-stretchable garment in substantiallyclosely spaced side by side relation to each other to completelysurround the body, arms and legs of a wearer in normal predeterminedclosely spaced relation to the surface of the wearers body and separategaseous pressure inflation means for inflating and expanding the tubularmembers against the outer non-stretchable garment into body pressuresustaining contact with the outer surface of the wearers body, saidflexible resilient expansible tubular members comprising two groups ofcollapsed active tubular members disposed in alternate side by sideparallel relation within said outer non-stretchable garment and saidgaseous pressure inflation means includes separate and independentinflating and expanding gaseous pressure supply means connected to eachgroup for selectively inflating and expanding each group of saidcollapsed resilient flexible expansible tubular members against theouter non-stretchable garment into body sus- 6 taining pressureengagement with the surface of the body, legs and arms of a wearerindependently of the other group.

2. A full pressure high altitude suit comprising an outernon-stretchable fabric fitted to surround the outer surface of the bodyof a wearer of the suit in close predetermined spaced relation thereto,a first group of small flexible expansible resilient collapsible tubularmembers disposed around the inner surface of said outer non-stretchablefabric of the suit in side by side spaced relation adapted to normallysurround the outer surface of the arms, legs and body of a wearer of thesuit in closely spaced relation to the surface of the suit wearers body,arms and legs when collapsed, a second group of small flexibleexpansible, resilient, collapsed similar tubular members disposed aroundthe inner surface of said outer non-stretchable fabric of the suit inalternate interposed positions between the tubular members of said firstgroup and when collapsed are in predetermined closely spaced relation tothe surface of the wearers body, a first regulated gaseous pressuresupply means connected to the tubular members of said first group forinflation and expansion thereof against said outer fabric into bodysustaining pressure relation with the surface of the arms, legs and bodyof a wearer of the suit, and second pressure means for inflating saidsecond group of alternate interposed tubular members for expansionthereof into body sustaining pressure on the surface of the arms, legsand body of a wearer of the suit, independently of the inflation andexpansion of the collapsible and expansible tubular members of the firstgroup.

3. A tubular full pressure high altitude suit, substantially as setforth in claim 2, in which said outer nonstretchable fabric is porous,and said second group of flexible resilient expansible tubular membersare closed at both ends and substantially collapsed in normalatmospheric pressure where body sustaining pressure on a wearer of thesuit is not required, and said second gaseous pressure supply means forinflating and expanding said second group of alternate expansibletubular members comprises a predetermined quantity of an expansiblegaseous pressure medium trapped and sealed in the second group ofcollapsed, closed, expansible tubular members suflcient to expand thesecond group of expansible tubular members into body sustaining pressurerelation on the outer surface of the arms, legs and body portions of awearer, within the suit, upon a predetermined reduction in surroundingatmospheric pressure on the tubular members of said second group that isless than a predetermined surrounding atmospheric pressure, when asustaining pressure on the body of a wearer of the suit is not required.

4. A high altitude full pressure tubular suit, substantially as setforth in claim 3, including a loose, porous extensible liner within thesuit, spaced substantially parallel rows of securing means between theporous outer fabric and said loose porous extensible liner, extendingaround the arms, legs, and body portions of the suit, to surround thearms, legs, and body of a wearer within the suit and forming elongatedadjacent side by side tubular porous passages between the substantiallyparallel rows of liner securing means with said small flexible,expansible resilient collapsible tubular members of said first andsecond groups disposed in alternate fashion in said adjacent elongatedtubular passages.

5. A high altitude tubular full pressure flight suit comprising, anouter flexible, non-stretchable porous garment for enclosing the body ofa wearer thereof, a plurality of closely spaced collapsed inflatable,expansible flexible resilient tubular members lining the inside of saidouter flexible, non-stretchable, porous garment in closely spacedside-by-side relation, for surrounding the body of a wearer of the suitin collapsed condition in predetermined spaced relation to the surfaceof a wearer of the suit, and expansible when inflated to apply bodysustaining pressure to the surface of the body of a wearer when enclosedwithin the suit, regulated pressure supply means connected to saidcollapsed inatable tubular members for inflation and expansion thereofto apply body sustaining pressure on the body of a wearer of the suit,substantially collapsed closed flexible, expansible tubular memberssuperimposed on said inflatable resilient collapsed tubular members,expansible inwardly from the outer non-stretchable porous garment andsaid inllatable tubular members into pressure sustaining relation on thebody of a wearer of the suit, independently of the expansion orcontraction of the inllatable tubular members on which they aresuperimposed, a predetermined quantity of expansible gaseous pressuremedium trapped and sealed in said closed, substantially collapsedexpansible tubular members, at a surrounding air pressure greater thanpredetermined exterior lower air pressure where body suscollapsedtubular members being expansible by said gas- 8 taining pressure becomesnecessary, said superimposed eous pressure medium trapped and sealedtherein for applying body sustaining pressure on the surface of a wearerenclosed within the suit, when the exterior air pressure surrounding thesuit and tubular members falls below said predetermined necessary bodysustaining pressure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,430,194 9/1922 Schweinert 2-2.l2,335,474 1l/l943 Beall 128-1 2,495,316 1/1950 Clark et al. 128-12,886,027 5/1959 Henry 12S-1 3,428,960 2/1969 Schueller 2-21 JORDANFRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner'

